LETTER WRITING TIPS

1) Remember to include your name, address and phone number. This is to prove that you are a constituent. They will not call you back and debate you. They may send you a “thank you for your comment” note.

2) Remember to use proper letter writing etiquette.

3) Letters can be short. Two to three sentences is okay — why you are writing, what your position is, what you want them to do.

4) Form letters are a big no-no. When staffers see form letters (i.e .the same sentences over and over) they put them in the circular bin. Speaking from the heart is always best. You don’t have to be a good writer (there are no grades on this!). You don’t have to be eloquent. Just tell it like it is.

 

“TALKING POINTS” you can mention in your letters:  

  • Use all property tax collected for education for education (i.e. for its intended purpose) without reducing the state’s share of the public education budget.
  • Properly fund all public education — until a new funding formula can be passed, please:
    • Eliminate the homestead exemption from the recapture formulas.
    • Fund full-day pre-K
    • Reimburse recapture districts for transportation costs
    • Stop unfunded mandates
  •  Let the Sen./Rep. know you are a constituent (if you are) and that you voted for him/her (if you did)
  • Remind the Senator/Representative that Texas has a long-standing constitutional mandate to provide free public education to the children of our state.
  • Financing this mandate has become challenging with the State’s complex and outdated funding formula — commonly known as “Recapture” or “Robin Hood” (Chapter 41– Texas Education Agency code).
  • I’m aware that the State of Texas is relying on school district tax dollars to help fund the State’s General Budget. This diversion of education dollars has placed an unsustainable burden on many school district budgets. I am against any money meant for education to be used for anything else but education. Keep education dollars in education!
  • In SBISD alone, the district paid out approximately $29M in 2015 and is scheduled to pay $53M in 2016. In 2017, it is projected SBISD will pay $91M in 2017.  THIS HAS TO STOP.
  • During the current Legislative session, I am following and supporting bills that address these 3 things:
  1. Elimination of the homestead exemption penalty from the recapture formula. SBISD and HISD are two districts that offer a homestead exemption. We must pay recapture on dollars we don’t collect. This is not fair. (SBISD – $31M)
  2. Funding district full-day Pre-K programs and including full-day Pre-K student enrollment when detemining the amount of recapture local taxpayers must pay to the state. Currently, districts only receive half-day funding for full-time Pre-K students and those full-time Pre-K students are not recognized in school funding formulas used to determine recapture payments. (SBISD – $7.6M)
  3. Reimbursement to school districts that are subject to recapture for their transportation costs. Currently, school districts that must pay recapture are excluded from the transportation allotment in the school funding formula, which is provided to other school districts.  (SBISD – $1.4M)
  • I am following these bills addressing homestead exemption, pre-K enrollment and transportation. I am counting on your support of these bills:
    1. HB 1324 Homestead exemption – Rep. Jim Murphy & Rep. Senfronia Thompson
    2. HB 1326 Pre-K Enrollment – Rep. Senfronia Thompson
    3. Transportation Allotment — HB 1037 Rep. Capriglione, Workman & Meyer / SB 358 – Sen. Kirk Watson
    4. HB 21 – increases basic allotment per student by $125 across most school districts; positive step in the right direction of complete school funding reform.

 

LETTER WRITING EXAMPLES

Sample Letter 1_Constitutional Mandate

Sample Letter 2_Equitable Funding

Sample Letter 3 -Strong Schools

Sample Letter 4 – Texas Heritage